Antarctic Exploration.

New Zealand Graphic, Volume XLIV, Issue 17, 27 April 1910, Page 48

Antarctic Exploration.

LONDON, March 4. Sir Ernest and Lady Shackleton are about to leave England on a visit to the United States. They will start on their journey on March I'.) on board the Lusitania, which is due to arrive in New York on March 25. Sir Ernest stated yesterday that if he should decide to -tart at a later date on another expedition to the South Polar regions, the form which it would probably take would be that of a scientific expedition for the purpose of exploring the regions between Cape Adair and Gaussberg. Be was looking forward with

much pleasure to meeting Commander Peary, who was to be one of his hosts in America, as Peary had done splendid work on Polar exploration. The task which the American South Polar expedition had set itself to perform was much harder than was generally recognised, inasmuch as no one had ever landed in the place where the exploring party proposed to land. Indeed, no one had ever seen land there, though there was an ice-ci:lf 150 ft. high, which was called land. The Americans might .find land in that locality. In the South Polar regions, a low drift, which did not occur in th<> North, was often found to be blowing. This got into the eyes of the dogs, whereas the ponies were above it. For this reason it was better to ta’e ponies than dogs. He wa= -ure that the courage and intrepidity which had characterised the American North Polar expedition would be a conspicuous feature of the w rk of tiio Americans in the South. W atever they did would bo important and interesting from the fact that they would lie working on land which had never been touched before, and their efforts were bound to have good results for science.

Sir E. Shackleton further stated thatl the scientific results of his recent expedition were being rapidly worked out, ami that by the end of March some of tha reports would be published. The reports on the microscopical work and the shells would be published very shortly, and. Sir George Darwin was working on the observations on the tides. Professor David, F.R.S., was at work in Australia, on the general geology, and Mr. Priestley, another member of the staff, had gone oat to assist him. The distribution of some of the geological collections among the principal museums of Europa and American had begun.